QHY5 & 8 Woes

gbeal · #1 20-10-2008, 07:53 PM

Time for a grizzle, not necessarily at the gear, in fact more at the operator, me.
I am stuck, up the creek, good and proper, and have just abandoned a decent night, first in ages, and forecast to be wet for the rest of the week, typical.
Somehow I have developed a fault with the QHY5 guide camera, and the PC doesn't recognize it any more. Maybe I deleted something, but somehow it doesn't work.
I posted on the QHY forum and QuiHY was kind enough to suggest a fix.
This seems to have partly fixed the problem, but not entirely.
If I uninstall the drivers for both the cameras, I end up with a "Found New Hardware" screen when I power on again. It asks for the drivers etc for "New USB Device". Auto-recognition doesn't work, and even if I point it to the folder with the QHY5 drivers, or the QHY8 drivers it doesn't like that. Can't install.
Funny thing is that if I don't connect the cable to the QHY5, but instead connect up the QHY8 it goes through the "Found USB Device" sequence, without success, then says that it is installing the QHY5 Base Driver, and then the CMOS Driver, both of which are for the QHY5, not the QHY8.

QuiHY's fix allowed me to get the Base Driver going again, but still I can't get either camera to show. Initially it was just the QHY5, but now it is both.
If I open PHD and select the QHY5 it "connects", and if I start exposing with the loop sequence, it "looks" like it is working, but the screen doesn't change with a change in light density. The camera seems to be going but isn't, hard to explain I find.
The QHY8 just isn't recognized ("Initialized" as per the warning screen). I use Maxim, but if I go "Connect" it tells me that the camera is not initialized. With Maxim, the QHY5 connects, but again gives the impression it is exposing, but isn't, the image does not change if I cover the lens or expose it to a bright light.
Short of hitting it all with a hammer I am stumped, and since it is operator and not hardware I am even thinking of going back to something that "just works". I never had this sort of trouble (even if I am the one to blame) with my previous system. Anyone want a set of imaging/guiding cameras, LOL?
Ideas, anyone?
Gary

monoxide · #2 20-10-2008, 07:59 PM

my laptop wouldnt recognise the qhy5 if the usb cable was too long, are you using any extenders/hubs?

i remember reading that someone on the qhy forum had a problem with devices not recognised if they had 4 or more usb cables plugged into the pc.

short of that, i have no idea.. both are still working well for me.
by the way does the red led on the qhy5 flash when it says its exposing?

gbeal · #3 20-10-2008, 08:03 PM

Thanks for the reply TJ, I am headed to bed to cry in my pretzels overnight.
Nope cables are as short as they physically can be, and no hubs. The system is exactly as it was a week ago say, when it worked flawlessly, as it has done from day one. I don't think it is the gear, it is the software, and my interference.
Nope, red light does not glow at all now, used to, but not any more.
Gary

monoxide · #4 20-10-2008, 08:09 PM

sorry to hear Gary,
may seem a bit drastic but mabee you could try re-installing windows then start clean, that way you can be sure that its a software problem

Terry B · #5 20-10-2008, 08:38 PM

Can you try installing it from scratch on another computer to test the cameras haven't developed a fault?
I had hassles installing my QHY5 on my win2000 lappy and had to point the drivers to the correct driver file manually and not let WIN change it.

allan gould · #6 20-10-2008, 09:17 PM

Did you set a restore point before installing the drivers? That may help - but only if you did

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #7 20-10-2008, 09:45 PM

cant help but do sympathise

dont know what i'd do if i were in the same fix..have you tried asking Theo?

Astrod00d · #8 20-10-2008, 09:46 PM

Not sure if this is relevant but...

I had a problem with the QHY8 and QHY5 drivers not playing nicely together. The QHY8 would work OK until I fired up the QHY5 then the QHY8 would display rubbish when the QHY5 was running. This just happened suddenly on a system which previously worked perfectly.

I had to go through the system and delete every instance of the drivers, then go to Regedit and delete every registry entry for the drivers, of which there were many.
Then I installed the latest libusb drivers from Astrosoft and all has been OK since.

Early on, before the big driver re-install, I noticed that the laptop would do a Found New Hardware and reload the drivers every time the QHY8 was plugged into a different USB port. Since then I've labelled the USB ports so that each device is plugged into the same port every time.

At this stage, I have the QHY8, QHY5 and a USB to serial adapter plugged into labelled ports on a powered hub. The hub is plugged into the same USB port on the laptop every time. I plug in the hub first, then the other devices one at a time and wait for the USB 'ok' sound between each one. If this procedure is followed the system runs reliably.

Cheers,

Rob

gbeal · #9 21-10-2008, 05:32 AM

Thanks team.
I am sure it is software, and the ability to use, or in my case, inability to use it.
In answer though, no, the PC this is on is the only one, all the other computers are Macs.
I didn't specifically set a Restore Point, but these cameras have been installed, and working flawlessly for the better part of the year.
The reason I haven't bothered Theo is that I didn't obtain it through him, so didn't see that it was fair to annoy him with this. Hopefully it is something I can rectify myself.
I am favouring deleting everything relating to the cameras, and starting afresh. Is there a specific way to do this? I can use the "Uninstall QHY5 (or 8) Drivers" from the start menu. Regedit is difficult? How do I do this?
Gary

JohnH · #10 21-10-2008, 06:44 AM

This sounds like a USB issue to me. I have had similar issues with combinations of cameras - that is I cannot use my QHY5 and 145M on the same machine.

Re-installing windoze is a bit drastic but will restore you to a known condition, surgery in the registry is an alternate but is not guaranteed to work, FWIW here is a sequence that will clean up USB configs (back up your files first!):

WARNING Not for the faint hearted - use at own RISK! - and I do not think it will work for Vista...

Step 1: Remove Hidden Devices
=======================
1. Open a Command Prompt.
2. Type set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1 and press Enter.
3. Type set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1 and Press Enter
4. Type start devmgmt.msc and click press Enter.
5. Click View. Click Show hidden devices.
6. Click + to expand devices, Unknown devices and USB devices.
7. Look for USB devices and unknown devices (including grayed out devices)? Right click it and click Uninstall them.
Step 2: Remove all oem*.inf files
========================
1. Open a command box
2. At the command line, type in the following :
cd \windows\inf
ren infcache.1 *.old
ren oem*.inf *.old
del C:\windows\setupapi.log
exit
Step 3: Removing all entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Enum/USB that start with VID using REGEDIT.
=================================== =================================== =========
Removing the VID entries from the registry will cause them to be redetected at restart.
CAUTION: If you have a USB keyboard, mouse, scanners, and other things you know are working, do not remove the VID entry for these devices, otherwise, Windows may not restart correctly.
1. Click Start and click Run. Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor window will open.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentCo ntrolSet\Enum\USB.
3. Highlight and delete all the VID_.... entries for usb devices that you cannot identify. Remember not to delete the entries mentioned above.
4. Restart your compuer.
Step 4: Reconnect the USB device that was not previously working.
=================================== ==============
Windows should automatically reinstall the drivers.

gbeal · #11 21-10-2008, 06:54 AM

Oh Boy, thanks John.
I am up for this, what have I got to loose. If all else fails I c an format, LOL.
It is an imaging PC solely, so in some respects a format every 6 months could be beneficial. See I am already warming to the idea.
I'll print this and try it, later today.
Gary

multiweb (Marc) · #12 21-10-2008, 07:05 AM

I had these problems many times with all the different drivers. As you pointed out the camera will connect then loop but nothing happens on the screen. Totally black without a hint of noise. I don't think you need to worry too much or do a radical registry surgery.

As Rob mentionned below I had the same problem and sorted it out by:

1_ Uninstall the drivers. QHY5/8, base drivers and EZYUSB.

2_ Delete the corresponding files in system32 and related directories (you'll find the info in the installation CD hat came with the cameras)

3_ When you re install the camera choose the manual option and point explicitly to the driver you want to use for each. DO NOT use the automatic install or let windows do it for you.

It will work again.

btw very cool animations on your site and happy birthday.

gbeal · #13 21-10-2008, 08:02 AM

Hi Marc,
cheers. Uninstalling them isn't too hard, but manually is, as I didn't get a CD with it, so no info.
You hit the nail on the head though with the effect you get when it connects, Nothing.
Thanks re the animations, it is only partly my work.
Gary

gbeal · #14 21-10-2008, 12:59 PM

Hi John,
so far so good, although I cannot removed/delete of the registry entries, I have tried. Heck, there is all sorts there, old SX and SBIG entries, neither of which I use now.
How do I delete them? It won't let me.
Gary

JohnH · #15 21-10-2008, 01:19 PM

Should just be a right click - Delete. You will need to be using an account that has ADMIN rights on your local machine to do this. This last step is not the most critical - if you have culled the devices from the USB tree and zapped the inf files that should be enough....

Good Hunting!

gbeal · #16 21-10-2008, 01:25 PM

Hi John, admin rights? I owe the damn thing, surely that gives me the right, plus it is my birthday, LOL.
I cannot delete then via the right click, either highlighting them all or individually, it just don't happen.
I may try just reloading the drivers from here then.
Thanks again
Gary

multiweb (Marc) · #17 21-10-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbeal

Hi Marc,
cheers. Uninstalling them isn't too hard, but manually is, as I didn't get a CD with it, so no info.
You hit the nail on the head though with the effect you get when it connects, Nothing.
Thanks re the animations, it is only partly my work.
Gary

Let me have a look at all the files I currently have working in good order on my laptop. I'm on XP. Send me a PM with your email and I'll email you the drivers and the locations in the system folders.

JohnH · #18 21-10-2008, 03:13 PM

Yup Bill G has some looney ideas re user accounts/security/rights...is the delete option not there when you right click? Or it is there but does not work? Do not worry over much though - like I said this last step should not be critical the prior steps should cause the system to re-detect the h'ware and re-install the drivers.

Bloodbean (Troy) · #19 21-10-2008, 05:45 PM

Hi Gary,

First off Happy Birthday! I've had better luck deleting stubborn registry keys in Safe Mode. To do this push the F8 key before the Microsoft Windows splash screen (with the blue or green bars going from left to right). You have to be quick though with that F8 key as you only have a few seconds. Choose Safe Mode from the menu list given and try to delete those registry keys again. Reboot normally back into 'normal' mode and try to install again. Hope this helps!

P.S. Just waiting a few days on a focuser for that OTA I bought off you

Troy

gbeal · #20 21-10-2008, 06:30 PM

Hi Troy,
I am leaning towards formatting first I think, but thank you for the advice.

Before I do, and bear in mind I am not overly computer savvy, let me relate what I just did.
After reading Johns advice, I followed it, and with the exception of being able to delete the registry keys/values it was as per his instructions.
I also deleted the QHY5 & QHY8 drivers, using the "Uninstall" setting.
So, when I turned it all back on, I elected to connect one camera up at a time, and I chose the QHY8 (for no real reason). Before doing this I installed the QHY8 base driver, and the Maxim DL plugin.
On connecting it, the "Found New Hardware box appeared and it told me it recognized the QHY5 Base Driver and started installing that software. Why?? Who knows. It stated that all was installed correctly, and I was happy. So, crank up Maxim, and try to connect only the QHY8, "Camera not initialized" same as before.
What gives people? Time to format?
Regards,
Gary
P.S, since the QHY5 Base Driver appeared to be installed, I thought what the heck, why not connect the QHY5 camera and see. The Found New Hardware box appeared, and it would not install automatically, so I directed it to the Program Files folder, where the QHY5 drivers were. Nothing, zip, forget it.